Connection plate for toy electric railways



June12, 1928. 1,672,915

W. SCHWARZENHAUER CONNECTION PLATE FOR TOY ELECT RIC RAILWAYS I Filed Aug. 2, 1926 RY-l jg/g4.

Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED {STATES WALDEMAR SGHWARZENHAUER, F ELTERSDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB T0 BING WEBKE, OI NUBEMBERG, BAVARIA, GERMANY. r

oomvno'rron PLA E For. TOY nLncrRIo aAILwAYs.

. application filed August 2, 1926, Serial No. 126,410. and in Germany June 15, 1925.

t The invention relates to an improvement in connection plates forjrailways for toy electric trains. t

The object of the invention is to produce an improved and simplified connection plate adapted for application to any part ofelectrio toy railways of different styles and gauges. To this end the invention consists 1n the improved connection plate for toy 1 electric railwayshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 1 The preferred form of the invention isillustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a top plan 0 the improved connectionplate, showing the ends of the wires of the electric circuit connected therewith; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing in s'ection the third rail and a main or outside rail mounted on the plate; Fig. 3 is a bottom planof the parts'shown in Fig. 1; and 4 is a transverse sectionv taken along the line l-4ofFig.1. W

The improved connection plate as illustrated in the drawingscomprises a rectangular plate or block5 composed of insulating material. The plate5isof such length as to readily support one of the main oroutside rails 6 andthe third orconductor rail 7 and to project laterally therefrom a-. convenient distance for the connection therewith of the wires 8 and 9 constituting the electric circuit which supplies current to the toy locomotive operating on the track to which the plate is attached. The plate 5 is relatively thin and the connection arts carried by it are so formed that the p ate may be located under the rails without projecting downwardly beyond the bottom of the cross or supporting ties. The width of the plate 5 is such that it may be located between any two adjacent ties at any point in the circuit of track constituting the toy electric railway. In order that the connection plate may be removably secured to'the main rail 6 and third rail 7 ,the plate is provided with the U-shaped sockets 10 and 11. The socket 10 is adapted to snap over and embrace the base part 12 of the outer rail 6 and the socket 11 is adapted to snap over and embrace the base part 13 of the third rail 7 The base of the socket 10 is provided with the downwardl extending tongues 14 which project throng a hole 16 in the plate 5 and securely embt'tteii a longitudinally arranged metal strip 17fas- ..tened to the under side of the plate 5 b means of the rivet 18. The socket 10 is pre erably made stationary. The socket 11 is movable longitudinally of the plate 5 so that the connection plate may beapplied to and connected with railways of different gauge. For this pur ose the downwardly extending tongues 20 o the socket 11 pass through the longitudinal slots 21 and are turned inwardl to loosely embrace the end 22 of a meta strip 23 fastened to theunder side of the plate5 parallelwith the strip 17 by means of the rivet 25 By moving the socket 11 longitudinally of the plate 5 the connection plate is adapted to be connected with one outside rail and the inner or third rail of any commercial form of toy electric railway. The outer end of each metal strip l7and 23 isotfset to extend upwardly to form a resilient contact piece 26. The strips 17 and 23 thusconstitute extensions of the resilient contact pieces 26. In the outerend of the plate 5 are twoapertures 27 throughwhich the contact pieces 26 project. upwardly. In order that the contact pieces 26 ma have greaterresiliency the strips or extensions 17 and 23 are bowed or curved at 28. Each resilient contact piece 26 is adapted to hold the end of one of the wires of the electric circuit against a fixed contact piece 30 extending upwardly from a base plate 31 which lies against the bottom of the outer end of the plate 5. Each base plate 31 is provided with an aperture 32 which registers with the corresponding aperture 27 in the plate 5. Each contact piece 30 and base plate 31 are held on the plate 5 by means of a tongue of metal 33 struck up from the base plate 31 in forming the aperture 32. This tongue of metalextends upwardly through the aperture 27 and is folded over onto the upper surface of the plate 5 to tightly embrace the plate 5 and thereby hold eachcontact piece 30 in fixed position. The base plates 31 extend inwardly from the outer lateral edge 34 of the connection plate and the bowed portion 28 of each strip or extension 17 and 23 clears the base plate, as shown in Fig. 2. The wires 8 and 9 of the electric circuit are held between the resilient contact pieces 26 and the contact pieces 30.

The abeve described connection plate for toy electr'ld iailways is seen to he at the at most simplicity in constfiifitiiii are xn'o'de and the third or inner rail.

Vhavinga part extending longitudinall of operation. In applying it to a line of toy tracks it is simply necessary to shift the socket 11 longitudinally until the two sockets 10 and 11 are in alinement with one outer The connection plate is then attached to the rails by snapping the sockets over the bases of the two rails. The electrical connection is made by simply forcing back the resilient contact pieces 26, placing the endsof the circuit wires 8 and 9 in proper position between the resilient contact pieces and the ad'acent fixed contact pieces 30 and, releasing te resilient contact pieces. The railway is now in condition for operation.

Havinglthus described the invention what I claim as new is: v

1. A connect'ion plate for toy electric railways comprising, a late. of insulating material, two contact pieces fixed to the plate, two. resilient contact pieces adapted to cooperatewiththe fixed contact pieces to hold the circuit wires, each resilient cont-act piecg the plate and secured'thereto, a socket a aptedfor attachment to a rail secured to the extension of one of the contact pieces, and a second socket adapted for attachment to a rail slidingly mounted on the extension of the other resilient contact piece.

2. A connection plate for toy electric railways comprising, a plate of insulating material, two resilient contact pieces pro'jlecting upwardly through holes in the p ate, each resilient contact piece having an extension extending longitudinally oftheplate and secured. to the under-side thereof, two fixed'contact pieces secured'to the plate and adapted to cooperate with the resilient contact pieces to hold the circuit wires and having bases provided with holes in alinement with theholes in theplate through which the resilient contact pieces project, a socket adapted to engage a rail base secured to the extension of one of the resilient contact pieces, and a second socket adapted to engage a rail base havin a sliding connection with the extension 0 the other resilient contact piece.

3. A connection plate {or toy electric railwa s com risin a lateof insulatin mai 7 b terial, two resil ent contact pieces projecting upwardly through holes in the plate, each resilient contact piece having an extension extending longitudinall of the plate and secured to the under site thereof, two fixed Contact pieces secured to the plate and adapted to cooperate with the resilient contact pieces to hold the circuit wires, a socket adapted to engage a rail base secured to the extension of one of the resilient contact pieces, and a second socket adapted to engage arail base havin a sliding connection with the extension of t e other resilient contact piece. I

4. A connection plate for toy electric railways com )rising, a plate of insulating mate rial, two xed'contact pieces extending upwardly frointhe plate, two resilient contact WALDEMAR SCHWARZENHAUER. 

